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When a concussion is suspected or first diagnosed, parents often have questions about the injury and how to help their child. These questions can arise the first day of the injury or may occur several days to weeks after the injury. There may be questions about returning to school or returning to sports or recreational activities.

Facts:

All concussions are serious

Most concussions occur without loss of consciousness

Recognition and proper response to concussions when they first occur can help prevent further injury

When in doubt, sit them out

What Children’s National offers

The Children’s National SCORE Concussion program is staffed by neuropsychologists and neuropsychology post-doctoral fellows who can assess and treat children, teens, and college student-athletes, ages 4-22, who have sustained a concussion. An important part of treatment is educating the student and parents about concussions, the risks of re-injury, and ways to ensure recovery.

Our staff will conduct a complete evaluation, including a series of neuropsychological tests that measure attention, memory, and speed. These help us understand the child or teen’s cognitive functioning. We will work with the child or teen and parents to develop a treatment plan to support full recovery. That plan will include a timetable for returning to school, sports, and other life activities.

Parents will receive a copy of the ACE Care Plan, which summarizes this information. This plan also will help parents communicate the evaluation results and treatment recommendations to school personnel, the referring physician, or other medical professionals. Return visits may be scheduled to adjust treatment until the child has fully recovered and symptoms are no longer present.